


BUSted

by AiShi



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Bus, Fluff, M/M, Revelations, Secret Crush, bus rides, naive Eren gives me life, self-indulgent fic, strangers in the bus, wallpapers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:15:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22783126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AiShi/pseuds/AiShi
Summary: There's nothing wrong with gushing about your crush to a stranger in the bus, right? Especially if said stranger is a sweet, middle-aged lady who was far too engaging in hearing all about it.
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 68
Kudos: 685





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the 7th of March where I am, so this is more like a birthday present from me to me, and one I'd love nothing more than to share with y'all ~~'coz I don't have friends.~~
> 
> May I just take this opportunity to say... I'll never get used to knowing there are people who actually like my works. I'm always thinking that my writing will never be enough, but at least it's _something_. So, having your support and words of encouragement is probs the best gift someone like me could receive. And I could never thank you enough for that ❤
> 
> All right, enough drama ~~no one cares~~. Hope you enjoy this one. :D

Eren put his phone down for a moment to direct his attention on boarding the bus. As he stepped inside the vehicle, a quick glance was enough to determine it was quite packed that he barely had an option where to sit. 

Save maybe for that seat beside a bald-headed guy who was far too disconnected from consciousness, if that drool trickling down the side of his mouth is anything to go by; that one beside the girl who seemed to have decided to have a full meal inside the bus; there's also a spot beside a man whose state of sobriety seemed questionable for 10 in the morning; or that one beside a girl with short hair whom he could already see glaring at him through the lens of her glasses; or he could squeeze himself beside that bulky guy and hope for the best.

Okay, so maybe he had a lot of options, but none of them were too appealing. 

Another quick sweep of the cramped vehicle and he spotted a woman sitting alone, with her gaze wandering out the window. Without thinking twice, Eren made his way towards the woman and plopped down on the available seat beside her. It was only then that he fished his phone out again after settling himself.

_**Armin:** Really, Eren?_  
_**Armin:** Are you really going to go there just to "secretly" ogle him again?_

Those were the couple of messages he received in the brief time he put his phone away.

_**Eren:** Yeppppssss ;D_

He responded with an actual smile curling his lips.

_**Armin:** At this point, I can't even tell if what you're doing is creepy or just sad._

The brunet couldn't help scoffing at the remark.

_**Eren:** It's called being in love Armin!!_  
_**Armin:** Both it is, then._  
_**Eren:** Whatever_

He rolled his eyes as he exited the messaging app and into his home screen, where a stolen picture of a sweaty, hot guy with jet black hair and piercing, narrow grayish blue eyes was set as his wallpaper. The guy was looking off to a distance, proudly donning on the school's basketball team's jersey that Eren had always dreamed of burying his nose into. If it's unwashed, it's perfect.

In the middle of his internal swooning, a part of Eren could still sense that the lady beside him had started looking at his phone as well. He really didn't mind it that much as curiosity was something he was terribly guilty of himself. Yet, of course, the semblance of breaching his privacy was starting to tickle his consciousness as well.

That was until the lady started to speak.

"Excuse me, dear. But may I know who that person is to you?" She asked kindly, sweetly. No hint of malice in her tone.

Eren chanced brief glances at the woman and noted she must have been around the same age as his mom. She had long, black hair, pale skin, and is fairly beautiful. She looked completely harmless, so Eren subconsciously dropped his defenses down.

"Are you gonna judge me if I say I have the hots for this guy?" A bright, cheeky grin curled his lips.

Being a 15-year-old who has a tight-knit relationship with his friends and family, and is generally sociable, the brunet tend to overlook age differences when conversing with people. Despite that being a habit, it's not to say that he didn't have a clear idea on what respect means.

"Of course not, dear. Do I really look that old for you to think I'm a hardcore tradition follower?" She responded with an easy smile of her own.

Now, Eren really liked her already.

"Oh no, ma'am. I would actually think you couldn't be a day older than 23." The cheeky tone in his voice was impossible to miss.

"Well, aren't you too young to be such a charmer?" She giggled, giving him a light push on his shoulder with delicate fingers.

"Do you know him, by the way?" Eren decided to ask. "This guy, I mean." He raised his phone and gave it a little shake for emphasis.

"Well, he does look familiar..." The woman trailed off with a seemingly pondering look on her face; lips pursed and thin brows meeting.

"Maybe you've seen him in one of his games." He offered. "He's Levi Ackerman, the captain in our school's basketball team. It's Trost Academy, by the way."

"Ah, now that rings a bell. You seem to like him so much." She observed.

"I just think he's simply amazing. I mean, this picture doesn't even justify how handsome he really looks. And honestly, though he's a little short in the height department, he still managed to be the team captain. Which I think is really impressive. He's actually a year older than me, and most of the times, he appears cold and aloof. Yet I would never forget that one time he offered to coach me in basketball, thinking I didn't know how to play. That was when I was trying to see if I could make the shots he does in the gym when everyone had supposedly gone home. I had no idea he was still there and... now I'm rambling. I'm sorry." He let out a half-sheepish, half-awkward laugh as he absently scratched the back of his head. He really needs to learn how to control his mouth.

"Oh, don't be." The lady scoffed playfully. "I'd love to hear about young love firsthand. It makes me feel so much younger again." She mused. "Oh right, if you don't mind me asking, what's your name, sweetie?"

"Eren." The brunet responded without a second's delay, _'stranger danger'_ nowhere to be found in his senses.

"Ah, Eren." She repeated, a hint of recognition in her tone that the young boy failed to detect. "Well then, Eren. Tell me more about this... Levi guy." She encouraged.

If Eren liked her five minutes prior, he definitely loved her now. Though he was pretty close with his friends, he only really ever entrusted the knowledge about his delirious crush to Armin alone, since he wouldn't put it past his other friends to constantly tease him about it, and may even "accidentally" spill the beans to Levi himself.

Telling your friends about the identity of your crush is really just equivalent to engraving your own name on the tombstone. It's like giving a kid a lollipop and expecting them not to eat it.

Your friends could be the biggest supporters and equally the biggest assholes when it comes to your lovelife. Non-existent or otherwise.

But then there's this stranger; this lovely woman who seemed genuinely eager to hear his embarrassing ramblings despite barely knowing him. And since Armin could only listen so much of his hopeless fantasies – donning this look of either suppressed amusement or poorly disguised pity – Eren finds it hard to resist unloading his feverish daydreams now that he was given the opportunity.

"Oh ma'am, I could talk the whole day and it still won't be enough to explain just how amazing he is."

So he did.

The sweet lady was pleasant the entire time that she didn't even seem annoyed by his nonstop ramblings in the slightest. Hell, she'd even throw in a question here and there which Eren would be much too eager to answer down to the detail.

"I mean, I'm not even sure if he's... you know... interested in other guys." Eren sighed, suddenly looking stumped at remembering that uncertainty.

"Well, if you ask me, I think he is." The woman replied with confidence.

"Really? You really think so?" He perked up with evident hopefulness shining in his teal eyes.

"Yep. Call it a woman's intuition." She winked, and the young boy beamed even brighter at that.

At the back of his mind, Eren knew he shouldn't hold a stranger's opinion with such high regards. But she had been the first one to ever tell him that Levi _might_ be gay, regardless of how he looked and how the brunet have just delineated every aspect of him. He had also heard that women could have pretty scary intuitions, and though he was skeptic about it at first, he's definitely willing to put every drop of his faith on that now.

He easily lost track of time and barely even noticed that he had arrived at his destination, if it wasn't for the woman getting off the same stop as him.

"Oh, are you also heading to Trost Academy?" Eren asked when he noted they were walking in the same direction.

"Mm-hmm. I work overseas, so I couldn't help wanting to see my baby all the time for as long as I stay here." She answered in kind.

"I see. I hope they better appreciate your effort then."

They haven't even known each other for so much as a quarter of an hour, but Eren did hope whoever this woman's kid was, they would appreciate such a wonderful mother. Hell, it's already the weekend, so he could only assume her child was participating in clubs and the like.

As much as he could relate getting slightly annoyed – and maybe embarrassed – by his own mom's fussing over him at times, the fact that this lady had to work far away for her kid had to give her free passes. She has every right to want to be with her "baby" to make up for all the times she couldn't.

"Do you know where your kid might be right now? I could take you there if you want to." The brunet offered.

"Oh, that's so sweet of you!" Happiness and relief could easily be seen in the smile she flashed him. "He said he would be at the gym for practice."

"Oh, so he must be into sports." Eren mused out loud, knowing that different sports teams of the school take turns in using the gym for their trainings and practices.

The woman took to clinging on his arm as he led the way towards the gym, which was conveniently where he was heading to anyway. Now that they were walking side-by-side, Eren could easily notice she was short. Kind of like his mom. Could she be as short as Historia from the cheerleading team? Historia was shorter than Levi, right? Maybe this woman's just at the same vertical standing as Levi?

Damn it, he really just had to think of Levi every single time, even while doing the most mundane things such as taking this lady to the gymnasium. But what can he say? Said guy was the main reason he was more than willing to go here in the first place.

Just as they made it past the open doors of the gym, Eren's heart skipped a beat when he immediately spotted the very object of his gay desires. He was standing by the bench area with his teammates, nursing a water bottle on one hand with a towel draped around his shoulders. They must have just taken a break judging from the sweat still clinging on their bodies. Sweat Eren would likely lick off from that particular player with the number 20.

He had heard Levi had specifically chosen that number for his jersey and he couldn't help wondering why. It couldn't be his birthday since it falls on the 25th of December. Maybe 20 is just his favorite number? Lucky number, perhaps?

He was abruptly snapped out of his thoughts when the woman beside him started calling out, sweet voice bouncing off the walls of the wide, partially empty gymnasium.

"Levi, honey! Look!" She beamed, still clinging on the young boy's arm.

Eren instantly tensed when, out of all the names she could have mentioned, _that_ particular one tumbled out of her lips.

"I finally met the cute boy you wanted to marry. And I approve, sweetheart!"

His heart must have stopped beating since he could hear the flatline of those hospital monitors ringing in his ears. Now that he was reduced to dumbly staring at the lady beside him, he only then just noticed why the hair color, the complexion, the slightly sharp facial features – hell, the _height_ – were all too familiar.

On the other hand, Levi was equally shocked at seeing the two of them together, and the teasing and hoots he got from his teammates behind him definitely didn't help the color that exploded on his cheeks.

"Mom. Please, don't." He groaned in distress, burying his face on the palm of his free hand in his futile attempt to hide from everything that was happening.

 _Mom_.

Of all the strangers Eren could have gushed out to, embarrassingly so, it had to be Levi Ackerman's _mom_. The sweet lady who seemed to have no plans on letting his arm go, and was rather trying to get him to move closer to her "baby".

How he wishes the bus should've just ran him over instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kuchel's birthday is on May 20, which is the number Levi used on his jersey. He's definitely a momma's boy ❤


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This year's pretty crazy, but apparently, I'm still alive. :D
> 
> Hope you guys are doing well. Stay safe everyone, and hope you enjoy another chapter of this one-shot.

"Mom, there's this guy at school today."

"Oh? Now _this_ is interesting. I was starting to get tired of hearing how well you were progressing academically." The woman on the screen sat up straighter, placing her teacup in its respective saucer on top of the desk to clasp her hands together where she rested her chin on.

"You don't even know what I was gonna say yet. Maybe I'd tell you how I got into a fight with him, you know?" Levi shook his head, reaching for his own teacup on his desk and taking a sip.

"Oh, honey. I can tell by the tone of your voice it's anything but that." She rolled her eyes. "My baby's having a crush, isn't he?" She guessed with a lilt in her voice.

As a response, Levi hid behind his teacup, grateful his mom didn't even try to correct his odd manner of holding it by the rim.

"Aww, what's his name, sweetie?" Kuchel cooed, already knowing she hit the nail on the head.

"I don't know." The raven almost mumbled, begrudgingly putting his empty cup down. "I only spotted him from a distance. Actually, I caught glimpses of him before, but earlier today, I got a really good look at him and he was..." he trailed off, looking as if he was searching for the right word or was just unable to say it out loud.

"Cute?" She tried to supply, aware of her son's sexuality and taste in people.

"Fuck, yes." He breathed out, planting both elbows in the desk to bury his face in his palms. "Very cute. More than cute. Understatement of the century," he mumbled through his fingers.

"Well then, Levi Ackerman, you better start approaching this boy. It's about time to sprinkle some romantic interest and spice up your life." His mother encouraged. "But try to keep it in, okay sweetheart? Let's not get Little Levi overwhelmed."

"Oh god, mom. Please don't."

"And if anything else, you never know if your uncle Kenny there may know some stuffs."  
At this point, hiding behind his hands proved to be insufficient, so the raven proceeded to drop his head on the desk instead, with a long suffering groan.

* * *

  
That was the beginning of the series of "this guy" stories Kuchel would hear about from her son. They've set a routine of regular video calls which happens before Levi would go to sleep at night, and the same time she's on her break from work.

With circumstances making it difficult to follow the calls on the daily, there would be times when either she or Levi would simply shoot each other emails instead. And most, if not all, of these interactions with her son, the raven would always manage to sneak in a little info about "this guy".

"Mom, I saw him again. Still with his friends though."

"So, he's been hanging out at the gym with his friends and I'm seeing him at every practice. Because, of course, I need the distraction."

"Mom, remember when I told you he was a distraction? I take that back now, he's my lucky charm. I've just been promoted to team captain earlier this day."

"I've finally learned his name, mom."

"Oh? Did you finally approach him, sweetheart?"

"No, but we had a new member, Kirschtein, who was friends with him. They were bickering earlier and Kirschtein had so generously shouted out an 'Eren Jaeger'."

"Sounds like they seem so close with each other."

That rendered the raven speechless that Kuchel thought for a second there was a problem with the connection.

"What's the matter, love?"

"I'm punishing Kirschtein tomorrow."

> **One unread message from Levi_Ackerman25:**
> 
> "Holy shit mom!! Your son-in-law's being cute again. Send help"

Kuchel couldn't help laughing as she read her son's email with an attachment at the bottom of it. It was a screenshot of Eren's new display photo on his social media; something she just knew her son was stalking at every given chance.

The brunet had his bangs tied up with a hair elastic that was accented with twin red blobs, a blinding grin plastered on his face and captivating emerald eyes that demands for attention and adoration.

It was easy to see why Levi was so taken in by the lad. He has boyish charms with a hint of feminine undertones. Clearly, her baby was a sucker for beauty and cuteness.

> **To: Levi_Ackerman25**  
>  "Levi Ackerman, you've been handling balls almost everyday yet you still can't grow a pair to even follow him on whatever that platform is. I love you, sweetheart, but that's the truth.

> **From: Levi_Ackerman25**  
>  "Mom are you crazy?! If I follow him that would be sooo obvious"

Her son was adorable, alright. But sometimes, she couldn't help but wonder if inflicting some minor pain could somehow trigger some sense into that stubborn head of his.

> **One unread message from Levi_Ackerman25:**  
>  "Jesus fuck mom. Can you believe this guy?! Holy fucking hell how is he allowed to be this gorgeous?!"

The attached photo was of a close-up shot of Eren who was looking intensely at the camera, effectively highlighting his eyes and boosted by the entirety of his facial appearance.

> "PS. I'm not washing my mouth until he kisses it"

Sometimes, Kuchel really wonders if her brother was indeed doing a good job of looking out for her son while she was away.

By the time Kuchel had finally took a vacation from work to be with her only son, Levi's "crush" still hadn't died down. Apparently, seeing Eren almost everyday had done wonders in "keeping his heart captive" as per Levi's own words. Levi, who had promptly knocked his head on the wall repeatedly after saying it out loud; surprising even himself.

When she proposed watching one of his practices, Levi's face lit up before growing hesitant just the second after.

"If you go, there's a high chance you'll see him," the raven started, a cautious undertone in his voice.

"Is that a bad thing?" Kuchel decided to probe, resisting the urge of a teasing smirk with ease, and rather donned on an innocent enough smile.

"Mom, as much as I want you to see him for yourself, please don't talk to him. You know I haven't yet," he reminded, expression guarded yet his eyes betrayed his silent pleading.

"Well, I can only assure you, love, that I won't approach him first. Not talking when he'd _possibly_ ask for something is quite rude, isn't it?" She countered with a still easy smile. Or at least enough to relieve some skepticism in her young man's instincts.

The doubt still remained prominent though. Yet whatever inner argument he was having ultimately ended up with him trusting his mom's words. Or maybe if he didn't, he'd still prefer to see her at practice.

And all things considered, Kuchel didn't end up _lying_ to her son, did she?

* * *

  
Levi kept wondering what in the world did he do to deserve this.

It's not that he regrets gushing out to his mom since he never would have done things differently even if he could. But what are the odds Eren and his mom could even get associated with each other like... _that_?

He risked another glance at his mom who was happily chatting away with that... _thing of beauty_ , despite needing to focus on the current practice game they were having. How badly he wanted to know just what they were talking about. Heaven forbid his mom was sharing some embarrassing stuffs about him.

At every given opportunity, he would always send glances their way. A couple of times, those emerald orbs would meet his for a second before averting just as fast. The heat that would creep up his cheeks everytime it happens couldn't even be blamed on the cardio-heavy activity he was currently playing.

Of course, those random, "Captain, are you okay?" he got from his teammates were absolutely no help at all. Especially since he could clearly see those cheeky smirks that would accompany the concern.

_'The bastards.'_

Had their coach not been supervising, he would definitely have those cheeky shits squatting for the rest of the practice.

"Ackerman! What are you doing?!"

Levi blinked and cursed under his breath as his lack of attention let the opposing team penetrate through their defense. He really needed to focus on the game. Concerning himself of the fact that his mom and his imaginary husband are currently conversing together is not gonna do him any good for the meantime.

As if that was the one switch that needed to be flipped in his head, Levi successfully made a steal before the opposing team could get another shot in. With deft hands and impressive agility, he made his way across the court with ease, evading the hands that were trying to take the ball from his possession.

Sights hyperfocused on the goal, Levi took a breath before going in for a three-point shot. However, just his luck, his mom chose to laugh heartily at that point, causing him to involuntarily jerk his hand and miss the shot.  
"What the fuck?" He heard Kirschtein remark, and the collective groans from his teammates only punctuated the unspoken rhetorical question of, " _How could you have missed that?!"_

"Are we distracting you, love?" Kuchel chimed with such sweetness and innocence it took everything in him not to roll his eyes at the very obvious answer to the equally obvious question. Seeing Eren's sheepish and apologetic face also helped in resisting such urges. Heaven forbid the brunet was blaming himself for being a bother.

"No," he grumbled through gritted teeth instead.

"Maybe he's just overwhelmed. He's usually in top shape when a certain someone is watching." Another voice joined in, loud enough to almost drown all the other noises in the establishment.

It took all of his willpower not to take off his shoe and hurl it straight towards the brunette grinning manically from the bleachers.

"Volleyball practice is not 'til noon, four-eyes." He managed to respond in a level enough tone, though his own orbs were already glaring daggers in both warning and annoyance.

However, Levi seemed to have forgotten that the more she's threatened, the more Hanji pushes things over the edge.  
"And that certain someone definitely isn't me." She grinned even wider than he thought was possible. "Hi there 'cute boy that Levi wants to marry' and Ms. Kuchel!" She beamed from across the court.

"Hi Hanji." Kuchel simply waved back in response, the familiarity between them evident.

At that point, dozens of scenarios rushed through the raven's head ranging from throwing all the balls available in the court straight to her face, to using the same mug to mop the spacious floors of the gymnasium.

 _'That might only soil the floors, though.'_ A second subthought managed to sneak in.

He wasn't fooling anyone with his blank face though, for despite his calm exterior, all these thoughts were manifested in the aura he was exuding. His teammates definitely knew better than to poke him further in his current state, and even Eren was starting to get worried the raven would soon explode with all the jabs he was receiving.

That sympathy clearly evades a particular someone though.

Having Hanji around during this wonderful day definitely gave him a glimpse of hell.

* * *

  
The practice went on with Levi performing a bit poorly than usual, to no one's surprise; but rather, concern. He also took his time scrubbing every inch of his body clean, making sure not to miss a spot, and was simply being more pedantic than his "normal". He also opted to lag behind as the other guys started to filter out of the locker rooms and the gymnasium, more because of his nerves getting the best of him, as well as making sure the Satan incarnate was already minding her own business.

As he peeked from behind the door to the center of the court where some volleyball players had made use of the available area – Satan incarnate included – he was partly wishing someone would spike a ball straight to her face. Broken glasses would be plus points. Though heaven knows she could've probably managed her own shop with all the glasses she had broken.

Doesn't stop him from wanting it though. Whoever that someone is who could grant his unspoken wish would probably be his next "best friend".

With a deep breath, he steeled himself as he took steps forward, knowing it'd only be more suspicious if he lagged behind further. His mom was still pleasantly engaging Eren in a chat as he approached, and the latter seemed to be settling with a polite smile as a response. It didn't really seem forced; just... polite.

Before he could even get within earshot of their conversation though, the brunet happened to glance at his direction then – like what kept happening earlier – averting just as quick; sporting on a deep blush of pink on his cheeks that Levi was sure he mirrored perfectly.

With the visible change in the young man, it was enough indicator of the raven's arrival, so Kuchel automatically beamed as she greeted her son.

Levi only managed grunting out an acknowledgement. Much as he wanted to make a positive impression, his confidence seem to evade him conveniently. He was partly aware that the brunet looked equally tongue-tied, though that's something he can forgive... considering his mom's lovely presence.

On the way out, the raven was walking at least a meter apart from his mom, and with the woman's gentle yet relentless grip on the other boy's arm, Eren didn't really have much of a choice but to stick with the two for a while longer.

"Are you boys hungry?" Kuchel chimed. "Any suggestions? My treat, of course."

Both boys opened their mouth and spoke nothing. Both looking for an excuse out of the invitation, yet finding none.

"Mom," Levi started, "Did you even ask him if he wanted to join us?" He spoke lowly, not wanting the brunet to misunderstand him and think he was pushing him away.

Part of him wanted Eren to decline the offer. Yet the same part would feel deflated if it does happen.

"I... am... I... well..." Eren stuttered, feeling like there was suddenly no difference between yes and no. Kuchel's expectant look didn't help, save for muddling his thoughts further.

The brunet felt like he was diffusing a time bomb. Problem is that he doesn't know how, so he's merely waiting to be swallowed up by the explosion.

"Eren?" A voice caught all their attention.

The brunet followed its source and there she was. His saviour, his angel; a superhero in the flesh. He could almost cry at the relief that flooded him.

"Mom!" He beamed, a pitch higher than he intended to. He gently wiggled free from Kuchel's hold and the woman let him go without hesitation seeing as he was running towards his own mother.

"I didn't know you were here. I was just heading back from—" She was cut-off when her son suddenly hugged her. Eren is rarely affectionate, especially in public.

"What's this about? Did something happen?" she asked as the boy let her go. Despite being 15, Eren was already taller than her.

"No, nothing. I just—"

"Hello, you just be Eren's mother," Kuchel greeted as she approached with her own son trailing behind her.

Levi was fascinated by the resemblance between Eren and his mother. Completely alike save for the length of the hair and eye color. Where Eren has dazzling ocean green eyes, his mother had beautiful hazel ones that almost looked like gold in the right lighting.

Now he knows who was responsible for Eren's beauty.

"I was just asking him if he'd like to join us for lunch; me and my son here." Kuchel continued, now locking arms with Levi instead. "Oh, silly me. Where are my manners? My name's Kuchel, and this is my son, Levi."

"Levi?" A look of recognition lit up the other woman's face. "So that's why you look familiar," she beamed at the raven before turning her attention back on the woman. "I'm Carla. I have to say, Eren's told me a lot about your son."

Eren's heart sank to his stomach. He started to search his memory for a reason on why he deserves to experience this nightmare.

But first things first, he needed to get his mom away before said nightmare could become a reality.

"Ooh, interesting." The ravenette grinned.

"Perhaps we could talk about it over lunch? My Levi had some interesting things to say about your boy as well." She winked.

"Mom!" Levi hissed, colors bursting onto his pale face.

"Mom!" Eren protested simultaneously. "Your cookies. They're gonna burn if we don't hurry home." He tried to drag his mom away.

"Oh hush, you," Carla chided, giving a gentle slap on the hands pulling at her arms. "Of course, we'd love to join you. I know a great place not far from here," she agreed with a smile.

Both boys donned on the same look of horror. Just what are the odds that they'd find themselves in this situation?

They weren't even planning on a confession. Not yet, at least. But if they were, this is definitely not one of the scenarios they'd have in mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while. My writing's rusty. :(


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Heart's Day!
> 
> This one's for all you lovely peeps reading this. I know I'm rarely active these times, and I'm really sorry for that.
> 
> Here's to hoping I could fill your hearts with some fluff ❤️

It has been over five minutes, yet Levi has been resolutely looking at the same page of the menu without straying his sights away.

On the other hand, Eren kept himself busy with his phone, trying so hard to distract his mind to what was going online in case he'd snap back to a different present reality.

In contrast, the women at the table were happily chatting over the selection of food offered by the restaurant, with Carla sharing her suggestions on which dishes she likes best. After learning Kuchel was working overseas, Carla had so generously offered to give her a refresher tour of the city and point out what was new.

They already act like best friends even though it had hardly been half an hour since they first met.

If only the same could be said true for some people...

"What would you like, Levi?" Carla started to ask.

The raven blinked, thankful that despite hardly paying attention, he caught on to the question.

"Cordon bleu," he answered, citing the first one his eyes landed on. Despite staring at the menu for several minutes, he wasn't really seeing anything; blinded by the multitude of thoughts in his head.

"Ooh, good choice," she remarked.

"What about Eren?" Kuchel pointed out.

"I'm guessing he'll have his usual?," the brunette queried, raising her eyebrows in a knowing look.

"Yeah," Eren confirmed. "Buffalo wings and lasagna."

"Despite his build, Eren is such a heavy-eater it's unbelievable. He could probably eat both mine and Grisha's portion and still ask for more," Carla initiated the conversation.

"Really? My Levi is more on the delicate side. He doesn't eat more than what he needs as what he told me once. But he's still pretty strong for his build," the ravenette responded in kind.

It was both awkward and painful to be talked about your mothers whilst you are in the same area, listening. But the boys didn't really have much of a choice in the matter.

Now that he couldn't hide behind the excuse of the menu anymore, Levi had to force himself to pretend to be involved in the conversation. His mom had taught him it was quite rude to keep using your phone – or any material excuse, for that matter – in the presence of other people, especially when you were at the table.

It seems like Eren learned the same thing seeing as he had then pocketed the device after giving their orders.

It was difficult for the brunet to stare at the same unmoving spot for a couple minutes, and try as he might, his eyes kept darting around. It was especially difficult to stay still when your hardcore crush, his mom, and your own mom were sitting around a table for lunch.

His restless eyes had led him to explore every angle of the restaurant from his position, but for some reason, they tend to always sneak a glance at the raven in front of him. The particular raven had also been busying himself with looking around idly, though he's capable of keeping his head down for longer than Eren ever could.

Their eyes met – steel gray to ocean green – for a split-second before they averted away at the same time, sharing the same tint of pink on their cheeks.

Being flustered and uncomfortable causes Eren to be more fidgety, so his legs started kicking from under the table in response. Unfortunately, his foot connected with the raven's knee.

"I'm sorry," he squeaked out, sitting straighter.

"It's fine," Levi responded almost immediately.

Their eyes met for another two seconds before looking away again.

And that was how their first ever exchange went.

"So, Levi," Carla started, "Eren told me you're the team captain of the school's basketball team?"

"Yes." The answer was accompanied by a nod.

"Impressive. Eren's been wanting to join the team back then, but was too shy to even try. Though I'm sure he's never missed a game of yours."

"Mom," the brunet whispered tightly, giving his mother a wide-eyed look in both warning and plea. His mom ignored him.

"Hear that, love? Aren't you glad you have such a cute and adorable fan?" Kuchel nudged the raven lightly with her shoulder. Levi nudged back with his elbow. "Well, I heard that Eren is quite the artist. There's one work of yours that Levi had been wanting to ask. Maybe even buy if it was for sale," she carried on.

"I... well, I'm not really _that_ good yet." The brunet absently scratched the back of his head. "But, if it's a work I've already finished, then maybe I could consider it. Give, I mean. Not sell."

"Really?" The ravenette beamed. "Well, are you gonna ask him, honey? Or should I?"

"Mom, please don't," Levi low-key begged.

"If it's not too much to ask," Kuchel continued despite her son's protest. She knew Levi would _never_ do it on his own. "How about that self-portrait of yours? The one where it's filled with flowers? I have to admit, that was, indeed, beautiful."

"Oh," was all Eren could think of saying. That was something he only ever posted online for 24 hours. So if Levi had caught it, that could mean he was possibly looking him up on his social media.

The fading blush on his cheeks grew a shade darker. "Sure. I mean... if you want to. I think it's somewhere in my room," he almost mumbled the words out.

Their orders arrived and the women shifted the conversation on the food instead, much to the relief of both boys. They ate in silence, paying half a mind to the idle chatter of their mothers. Again, Eren resorted to entertaining himself with his thoughts. He's had this dish far too many times, so he'd like to ask Levi's thoughts on his own serving instead. 

Did he like it? Well, probably. His mom wouldn't recommend this restaurant otherwise. The raven didn't look the least disturbed as well, as what Eren could tell from the swift glances he got.

Should he offer a taste of his own food? That would be weird, wouldn't it? They hardly talked to each other, so how would Levi feel picking food from Eren's plate?

Or should Eren just feed it to him?

The brunet had to take several gulps of his soda to keep himself from choking at the image of him spoon-feeding the raven. He also hoped it could help with the fire on his face since it was on the brink of overheating. He chanced another glance at him, only to meet those gunsilver orbs again, which ultimately resulted in him finishing his drink in one go.

Who knew eating could be so difficult?

Levi, on the other hand, mentally scolded himself for staring at the brunet too much – though it really had been just a number of glimpses. He couldn't help himself. He'd never seen Eren _this_ close before. But how he wished it had been under different circumstances.

He was almost done eating when the brunet started choking.

"Eren, what's wrong?," Carla asked, interrupted from her conversation with Kuchel.

The brunet couldn't manage to answer and instead, frantically reached for his mom's glass of blue lemonade and guzzled down more than half of it. He took a couple of seconds to get his bearings back before apologizing and excusing himself from the table.

"Is something wrong?," Kuchel asked with maternal concern.

"If anything, this is far from being the first time," Carla sighed, subtly shaking her head. "Eren's not only a heavy-eater, but he also has troubles remembering to keep his pace while doing so. What am I ever going to do with that boy?"

They all stared at the direction of where the brunet headed before Kuchel spoke up not a minute longer. "Levi, why don't you go check on him?," she suggested.

The raven was about to refuse and come up with some half-assed excuse, if he hadn't caught on to his mother's smile. That deceivingly gentle smile he knew all too well. It may seem all nice and innocent – maybe Eren had even fallen prey to it – but he knew not giving in to that smile would result in something he wouldn't like. He couldn't refuse her.

With betrayed eyes and a tight jaw, he acquiesced; stepping towards the restroom where Eren had went to. He had to take a deep breath to calm his racing heart before going inside the door, immediately spotting the brunet by the sink. They merely stared at each other for who knows how long before Levi had the mind to close the door behind him.

"My mom asked me to check out on you," he explained.

"Oh," was all Eren could respond with, then started fidgeting his hands on the sink.

 _'Come on, Levi. Talk, for fuck's sake!,'_ the raven mentally kicked himself. Did he really have to say he was sent by his mom? Maybe now Eren was thinking he was totally forced into this.

He wasn't. Not really.

"So..." he tried again.

"I—" Eren spoke at the same time.

They both halted to let the other go first, but then fell on to the classic cliche of speaking above each other, insisting the other go first. In the end, Levi was the one who continued with his sentence.

"I was just about to ask how you and mom met," he said.

"Oh, uhh..." The brunet started to scratch the back of his head without intention. "I happened to sit beside her in the bus earlier and..." he trailed off, unwilling to mention that Kuchel had seen a picture of him on his phone.

By failing to mention it though, Levi arrived to the conclusion that his mom had recognized Eren and started gushing out to him.

"Oh," was all Levi could answer with this time. Yet his response made Eren think he had somehow known his photo was set as his wallpaper.

Lack of communication – or in this case, miscommunication – really tends to create unnecessary problems.

An awkward silence settled between them, possibly made worse by the cramped space they were in. Speaking of, it was only then that Levi realized they were still inside a public restroom, and attempting conversation must have been a pretty stupid thing for him to do.

What must Eren think of him now?

"Maybe we should go back," he suggested instead, trying to salvage whatever was left of his dignity.

Eren seemed to hesitate, but he agreed nonetheless.

They laggardly exited the restroom, but just when Levi was about to make the turn towards their table, Eren suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder.

"What's wrong?," the raven asked with furrowed brows. Not that he didn't like the contact, he was just really confused on why the other was stopping him.

Eren licked his lower lip in the habit of uncertainty. "Hey, do you wanna go somewhere else?," he blurted out.

Thin brows shot up to his hairline. "Now?," the raven asked incredulously.

"I– I mean... if it's alright with you?" The brunet backtracked, retracting his hand in a flash.

"I don't mind. But what about your mom?"

"I can shoot her a quick text." Eren shrugged. "I think she'll understand. What about _your_ mom, though?" He suddenly realized Kuchel had come all the way here to spend time with her son. "Oh, shit. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. I'm sure your mom wanted to spend time with you as much as possible and I—"

"Hey," Levi cut him off, "it's fine. She had spent all her time with me ever since she got home. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to spend some of it with a new friend."

They both watched their mothers chatting and laughing from a distance, showing something from each of their phone, and pointing at some direction from where they were seated. How easily they got acquainted with each other was astonishing.

"I'll just send her a quick text, too," Levi concluded, and they both gave one last look at their table before sneaking out through another exit.

Now that they were alone, Eren was suddenly questioning what the hell had he gotten himself into. As always, he hadn't really thought through his decisions and merely acted on impulse.

Right now, they were practically walking at least a meter away from each other.

"So, where are we going?"

The brunet internally flinched when Levi finally decided to ask. "I'm not sure yet, honestly," he admitted. "It's just that... it's pretty hard to talk with our moms around. I mean, I love our moms, but that was honestly painful. I can't believe the earth hadn't swallowed me up yet, really."

Levi absently nodded in agreement. "Our moms?," he pointed out in amusement. When the other gave him a confused look, he clarified, "You just said you love our moms."

"Oh... well, yeah. Your mom's really nice."

 _'Especially when I didn't know she was_ your _mom,'_ he wanted to add.

"It's kinda hard not to like her," he continued instead.

They spotted a shaded bench across some cafe and proceeded to occupy it without a word. They really had no particular destination in mind, so might as well sit for a while.

... On opposite ends of the bench.

Another bout of awkwardness passed between the two, made more obvious by the distance between them. There wasn't a lot of people, but there's enough traffic that someone could sit between them if they don't speak anytime soon.

"I hope mom hadn't been too much for you," Levi decided to start the conversation.

"No, really. She's been lovely," Eren dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand. "I... uhh... I'm just sorry you haven't been able to focus on your practice earlier," he almost mumbled, now looking at anywhere but the raven.

The heat rushed up to Levi's cheeks again and he internally reeled at the memory. He did _not_ want to relive that ever again. But now that he thought about it, if going through that torment was what it took to finally speak with this brunet he'd been pining for so long – _and holy shit he's actually talking with him now!_ – then maybe it wasn't that bad. Even though it _still_ really sucked.

In the brief silence that draped them again, Eren took a deep breath and steeled himself for what he was about to say. For once, at least he could give credit on his impulses.

"Listen, Levi... I'm sorry, but as you may have already known just earlier... I like you. I really, really like you. I think you're really cool and amazing. You're also hot, and smart, and amazing. Did I say amazing? And that's why I keep hanging out at the gym, and why I keep taking photos of you secretly while in-game or in practice, and why I choked earlier. And I'm just really sorry that—"

"Eren." The raven reached out a hand to his knee to stop him from further embarrassing himself, if that was even still possible, all while sporting a lighter tint of color on his pale cheeks. "I'm still processing most of what you just said, but why are you apologizing?"

"I... well... I just thought you'd be mad. Or that you won't like it—"

"Won't like it? Eren, you've been with my mom. You've witnessed how my teammates and that shitty four-eyes gave me shit earlier. Why would you think I'd be mad?"

"Because of that?," the brunet responded with clear confusion. "I'm sorry. Everything is just happening too fast." He gave out an awkward laugh out of reflex.

"Yeah," Levi agreed, only then realizing that he was still holding the brunet's knee and retracted his hand quickly. _Begrudgingly_.

"I never imagined you actually... like me as well," Eren continued after a while.

"Same." The raven couldn't help chuckling at the incredulity of it.

They've both been pining for each other, yet none had the balls to even approach first. And all it took was a faithful bus ride – and Kuchel's "innocent" announcement at the gym – for the secrets to finally be aired.

Were there better ways for them to find out about their hidden feelings? Absolutely!

Did they regret their actions prior to the whole ordeal? Probably not.

Levi didn't really regret trusting his mom with regards to his personal matters, and Eren would still gush out to his mom as much as he possibly could. They both might have felt initially betrayed, but with the progress that was happening, all is forgiven.

There would have been no progress at all if it wasn't for them.

"Why'd you choke earlier, by the way?," Levi decided to ask, just to get the conversation going and reduce the amount of awkward silences between them.

Must have been the wrong thing to ask since Eren seemed like he was about to choke again.

"Ah, nothing. Just went down the wrong pipe, you know," he dismissed rather suspiciously.

Levi arched a brow at that. "You said something about 'it was why you choked earlier'," he pointed out.

For some reason, the brunet flushed furiously again, waving his hand in the air as if to dismiss, dispel, or deny the thoughts.

He would never admit his thoughts had suddenly crossed the holy line upon seeing the raven eat his meal earlier. Especially when the cheese oozed out of that golden brown cordon bleu...

"First date on a bench in a public area?" A voice spoke out behind them. "I would've expected much more from you, Eren," Carla said in a tone of mock disappoinment.

They turned around to see their moms already locking their elbows together. They must have just finished at the restaurant and had decided to stroll around. The boys hadn't gotten very far, after all.

"Levi, honey. I thought you had made plans for this already? This isn't exactly romantic, you know," Kuchel added in her own tone of faux-dismay.

Discomfiture crawled up on the boys again, and before they could think their moms were about to step in again, both women just casually walked on ahead and started chatting with each other, with Carla pointing at shops for Kuchel to see.

Both teens were left speechless at the sudden interruption. It was really a wonder how the women went from total strangers to best friends in a matter of 30 minutes.

How long will it take for their sons to progress beyond the crush status?

Out of nowhere, Eren suddenly gave a quiet laugh. Levi just stared at him in confusion, letting his look communicate the unspoken inquiry.

"Sorry. I just realized we've never properly introduced ourselves. Our moms had been smart enough not to skip that part, and look how they are now," the brunet explained.

Levi thought it actually made sense. "Well, is it too late to start all over?," he offered. And his heart almost stopped when he was rewarded with the most breathtaking grin he had seen thus far.

"Guess not," the brunet chuckled before holding out his hand. "Hi, I'm Eren. And after all the embarrassment I endured from this day alone, I guess it won't make much of a difference if I say I'm gay for you."

The raven couldn't help laughing out at the ridiculous introduction. But he took the hand nonetheless, and felt sparks run through his nerves at the contact.

"I'm Levi. And I like you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With everything that's happening, I've been finding it v difficult to focus on my writing. But I'd still like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who left comments on my works. I can't even explain how much my heart swells at your messages.
> 
> Thank you, thank you, thank you ❤️💋


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